CD Reviews

Shamchaurasia Gharana

Orpheus | on the road | 10/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Salamat Ali Khan was one of India's greatest vocalists, together with his brother Nazakat Ali Khan he formed a famous Jugalbandi Duo that was allready legendary before India's partition. They belong to the Shamchaurasia gharana (tradition), a very old druphad lineage in which they introduced the more recent lyrical Khyal style. This gharana is renowned for it's long alaap (introduction) and virtuosic layakiri (polyrhythmic improvisation).

In some ways this music is akin to that of the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, it shares the intense yearning and expansive feel, mystical and at the same time heroic - something all music emerging from the Punjab (on both sides of the border) has in common.

Yet the atmosphere that emanates from this recording is more peaceful and contemplative than the raging beauty of quawali. All performances start with an almost velvet soundscape - beautiful harmonium-playing - from which the introverted voice evokes a world nocturnal - mysterious, yet full of strange wonder, slowly progressing into more and more complex rhythms - flowing tabla by the Great Ghulam Abbas Khan - and consequently more lyrical melodies; some of which are of stunning beauty.

This Recording is built up with an ascending intensity, it starts with a haunting version of the night Rag Madkauns by Shafqat Ali Khan, Salamat's youngest son. Then, Shafqat's elder brother Sharafat gives a masterful rendition of the majestic Suha Kannada Rag, Salamat then takes the limelight in a melancholy and very intense Verag Todi. The recording ends with an incredible jugalbandi in which all three converge to sing some of the most beautiful and virtuosic interweaving of melodies and harmonies I for one have ever heard. As with all Nimbus recordings: audiophile standards; Highly Recommended."